Car replacer



Sept. 1, 1959 w. E. ROE 2,901,982

CAR REPLACER Filed Feb. 5. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet` l Mh- Syvum/vio@ Mans 05 W. E. ROE

CAR REPLACER Sept. 1, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 5, 1954 United States Patent() CAR REPLACER Application February 5, 1954, Serial No. 408,365

2 Claims. (Cl. 104-270) l This invention relates to car replacers such as are employed to replace the wheels of a car truck upon the rails. As such the invention has as one of its objects the provision of a construction which will be highly e'- cient in use and economical in manufacture.

Another and equally important object of my invention is the provision of a car replacer of the character hereinafter described which can be used on either side of a car track and in either direction with respect to the rails of the track for effectively, quickly, economically and conveniently replacing the wheels of a car truck upon the track.

Another object of equal importance is the provision of a car replacer comprising a body having wing or ramp portions of like formation and adapted for straddled position on opposite sides of a rail and converging toward each other in one direction longitudinally with respect to the rail and integrally connected together at their point of convergence, witheach wing portion having a tread and a groove, with the outer Wall of the groove preferably adjacent the point of convergence providing a cam surface for camming the wheel in a direction for position upon the track.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention Will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the car replacer embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the same;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 5 5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line 6 6 of Fig. 3.

The several objects of my invention are accompished by the preferred form of construction shown in the accompanying drawings and which construction will be more specifically described.

My improved car replacer is of the straddle-type, that is, one which when in operative position straddles the rail. The replacer may be formed of such material as will best serve the purpose.

Such car replacer comprises a body 10. This body 10 has curved wing or ramp portions 11 of like formation for position on opposite sides of a conventional rail 12. The wing portions 11 converge from each other in a direction longitudinally with respect to such rail. The wing portions are integrally connected together by a body portion 13 at their point of convergence. The body portion 13 is mounted upon the rail 12 as shown.

Each wing or ramp portion 11 comprises a tread ice surface 14 terminating into the body portion 13. Between the tread surface 14 and the rail 12 is a clearance 14 below the plane of the tread surface 14. The portion of the wings providing such clearance has a cutout portion 13' to receive the adjacent portion of the anges 12 of the rail 12.

The wing or ramp portions further include grooves 15 parallel with the tread surfaces 14 but preferably in a plane therebelow. The outside side wall .15' of the groove 15 adjacent the body portion 13 provides a cam surface 16 tapered downwardly and inwardly toward the rail. The remaining portion of the outside wall may be in the form of a bead 18 of sufficient height to guide the flange of the Wheel. The edge 17 of that portion of the side wall 15 providing the cam surface 16 is located in a plane substantially above the plane of such bead and has junction therewith by an intermediate curved edge portion "19.

This present invention constitutes an improvement of that shown in my pending application January 2, 1953, Serial Number 329,240. As shown in such pending application, the wings 11 have their end portions 20 provided with bearing fingers 21 which engage the adjacent surfaces 22 of a railroad tie 23. If found desirable, the replacer may be connected to the tie by ordinary spikes 24. The fingers 21 serve to cooperate with the spikes 24 to prevent forward movement of the car replacer during the replacing operation.

As in the case of my copending application, the car replacer is clamped to the rail 12 by a suitable clamp 24. This clamp 24 comprises an elongated diamond-shaped body portion 25 having reversely inwardly extending hooks 26 which project into slots 27 formed in the side walls 15. The slots 27 are diagonally disposed with respect to the side walls 15', so that they will have a reverse incline with respect to the incline of the body 210, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2.

In use the body 10 is positioned upon the rail 12 with the body portion 13 bearing thereon and the wing or ramp portions 11 on opposite sides of the rail 12. As best shown in Figs. l and 2, the wing portions are slightly arced or curved from a horizontal plane so as to dispose the end portions 20 thereof upon the tie adjacent thereto to provide curved ramps on opposite sides of the rail 12 which merge together at their junction with the body portion 13. The clamps y24 are adjusted in place in the manner disclosed in my aforesaid pending application to clamp the car replacer on the rail with the fingers 21 in abutment with the tie 23.

As the displaced truck wheels are manuevered toward the car replacer, the flange of the displaced wheel (hereinafter referred to as the inside wheel) between the rails of the track will move up the groove 15 to engage the tread of the wheel on the tread surface 14.

The wheel (hereinafter referred to as the outside wheel) located outside the rails of the track, will have its flange disposed to move into the groove 14 between the tread surface 14 and the adjacent rail 12 to engage the tread of the Wheel on the tread surface 14. As the truck is moved the tread of the inside wheel will ride on the tread surface 14 of the adjacent car replacer while the flange of the outside Wheel will move up the clearance between the tread surface 14 and the adjacent rail. As the flange of the inside wheel reaches the curved or upwardly inclined portion 19, it will ride thereupon to move the flange of such inside wheel into engagement with the cam surface 16. Further movement of the truck will bear the ange of the inside wheel against this cam surface with the result that the wheels of the truck will be shifted or cammed in a direction to dispose the tread of the Wheels where they will again engage the top edges of the rails. The body portion 13 connecting the tread portions 14 will effect elevation of the an-ge of the outside wheel to the position where such flange will cross over the top portion of the rail 12 and clear the tread 14 when the truck is caused to shift laterally over the rail 12 by the camming action brought to bear against the flange of the inside wheel.

By this simple construction and operation the wheels of a displaced truck may be quickly and economically and with the minimum degree of labor replaced upon the rails.

From the foregoing description, it will be further observed that I have provided a car replacer which can be used on either side of a car track and in either direction with respect to the rails of such track. Such an arrangement avoids the necessity of having right and left hand or inside and outside, or high and low constructions, as is presently required.

My improvement in a car replacer is of a simple design requiring no tools in its application and of a construction such as eliminates side tipping, as it is obvious that as forward pressure is applied to the replacer the car replacer becomes more tightly clamped in position.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable `of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A car replacer which can be used on either rail of a car track and in either direction with respect to such rails of such track, comprising a rail engaging body, said body having wing portions of like formation with the wing portions in straddled relation with respect to their respective rails, said wing portions having side walls converging toward each other in one direction longitudinally of the rail and extending forwardly of said body, each wing portion being of similar construction and formed to provide a wheel tread engaging portion, said tread engaging portion having formed therein adjacent its side wall a wheel ange groove extending the length of said wing portion, said wing portion providing an inclined wheel flange engaging portion between said wheel tread engaging portion and said rail and terminating at its inclined end into 'said body and adapted to engage the flange of a Wheel to dispose the tread of said wheel into engagement with said wheel tread engaging portion, said side walls at a point adjacent said body tapered downwardly and in the direction thereof to provide a camming surface for engagement with a ange of a wheel so as to cam the flange and tread of the wheel into engagement with the rail.

2. A car replacer which can be used on either rail of a car track and in either direction with respect to such rails of such track, comprising a rail engaging body, said body having wing portions of like formation with the wing portions in straddled relation with respect to their respective rails, said wing portions having side walls converging toward each other in one direction longitudinally of the rail and extending forwardly of said body, each wing portion being of similar construction and formed to provide a wheel tread engaging portion, said tread engaging portion having formed therein adjacent its side walrl a wheel flange groove extending the length of said wing portion, said wing portion providing an inclined wheel flange engaging portion between said wheel tread engaging portion and said rail and terminating at its inclined end into said body and adapted to engage the flange of a wheel to dispose the tread of said wheel into engagement with said wheel tread engaging portion, said side walls increasing in height throughout a portion of their height so as to be in a plane above said body and at a point adjacent said body tapered downwardly and in the direction thereof to provide a camming surface =for engagement with a ange of a wheel so as to cam the flange and tread of the wheel into engagement with the rail.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Di 34,291 Showalter Mar. 26, 1901 216,350 Rutherford .Tune 10, 1879 364,091 Cooke May 31, 1887 421,873 Slusser Feb. 18, 1890 513,531 Reany Ian. 30, 1894 681,349 Smyth Aug. 27, 1901 717,862 Johnson Jan. 6, 1903 760,246 Pritchard May 17, 1904 765,333 Burroughs et al. July 19, 1904 1,226,390 Shewmake May 15, 1917 1,491,507 Zerbe Apr. 22, 1924 2,590,344 Perks Mar. 25, 1952 2,679,213 Merritt May 25, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 22,729 Great Britain of 1901 

